As we start 2023 we are faced with a crisis in childcare and early education unlike any we have ever seen.
The sector faces unprecedented challenges, with Ofsted’s latest figures showing that there has been a consistent reduction in the number of early education and childcare providers, particularly among the Private, Voluntary, and Independent (PVI) settings which support the majority of our children. I’ve seen this across the country and in my own Winchester constituency.
This isn’t the providers’ choice. Rising business rates and the cost-of-living crisis are forcing many towards closure, leaving parents and children, including those with SEND or from disadvantaged backgrounds, without access to an essential part of our national education infrastructure.
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